Packing and display carton



April 2, 1929. RY. R. RlcHARDsoN 1,707,771

PACKING AND DISPLAY CARTON Filed Sept. 20. 1926 withdrawal of the cakes from Patented pr. 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES RALPH R. RICHARDSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

PATENT ori-Ica`- n cAn'roN comcoaronarron oF ILLINOIS.V Y

PACKING ANnDIsPLaY CARTN. y

Application led September 20, 1926. Serial No. 188,433;

This invention relates to improvements in cartons, having reference more particularly to heavy pasteboard cartons of the'kind commonly employed by baking establish- 5 ments for the packing of cookies, fancy cakes Vand similar bakery goods.

Heretofore, so far as packing of bakery goods of the character above mentioned, superposed spacers coni0 sisting of rectangularly intersecting flat vertical strips, similar to those commonly used in egg cartons, have been employed to provide individual cells for the cakes; loose flat cardboard sheets being interposed be- 15 tween the superposed layers to separate the cakes in a vertical direction. .One object of my present invention is to provide improved means for holding the cakes in spaced and separated condition, which will the carton without handling of the cakes, thus contributing to the sanitary character of the package. This means comprises a plurality of superposed trays each of a size corresponding to the carton so as to fit within and completely occupy a cross-section of the latter, each of these trays having novel structural features hereinafter particularlyv describedV whereby most of the cakes within the tray Vare completely housed and protected and also spaced from leach other to prevent their sticking together, while one or more rows preferably at the center of the exposed to view to indicate the the contents.

In a eo-pendinfr application filed concurrently herewith, erial N o. 136,432, I have disclosed and claimed a storage and display package consisting of a box or carton, and a plurality of relatively long narrow vrectangular trays, each adapted to contain one row of cakes, arranged in superposed layers with the trays forming one layer placed crosswise of the traysforming the next'underlying layer. In the package of my present invention, the superposed layers consist respectively of a vsingle tray occupying the full cross-section of carry'a plurality o f rows of cakes.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved tray which may be made from a .single cardboard blank with parts thereof so folded and interlocked as to tray are left character of form one or more substantially closed com- I am aware, inthey 'persons skilled in the art permit the Y internal horizontal section of the` of the cakes, Y

the carton, and each tray is adapted toA partments for housing the cakes and an o n compartment wherein the cakes may' be ispiayed to view as the carton. Another object of the invention is to provide, in a tray of the character aboveV specified, cake spacing devices, preferably integral with the botto lwall of the tray, and so disposed as to stiften and reinforce the inner wall of the closed compartment or compartments. Y

Still other objects and attendant advantages of the invention will be apparent to as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, with the accompanyin drawings wherein I have illustrated a practlcal and approved embodiment of the invention,and in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective elevation of my improved carton shown as loaded and in display position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1';

Fig. 3 is a plan of the blank from which the tray is made; and v Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the f trays.

Referring to the drawings, an entirety the rectangularv box or carton, herein shown as square, which forms the container and carrier for the individual trays in which the goods are packaged.

In Fig. 4 is shown in isolated detail one of the individual trays designed to hold a plurality of cakes or other bakery oods, and designated as an entirety by T. his tray is made from a single rectangular cardboard .blank cut and scored as shown in Fig. 3. The central portion of the blank designated by 11 forms the square bottom of the tray, of a size to just fit and fill the horizontal cross-sectional area of the carton 10. On opposite sides of the bottom 11 the blank is scored by parallel lines 12 and narrow strips 14 which form two opposite side walls ofthe tray. Beyond the -lines413 and parallel with the latter are scored lines 15, between which and the lines 13'are portions 16 which form vthe top wallsor covers of two closed compartments ofthe tray,'and beyond the scored lines 15 are narrow end strips 17 which, as shown in Fig 4, are folded downwardly from the top walls v16 to form the inner side walls of said compartments.

Parallel with and a short distance inward- 1o designates as taken in connection a sample of the contents ofly of the longitudinal edges of the blank are scored lines 18 on which are folded upwardly lwalls16, the lower ends of said tabs entering.VV

the other two side walls 19 of the tray. Be-

ond and in line with the scored lines 18 are j slits 20 forming straps 21that, when the walls are bent inwardly to' lie against the inner sides .of the side walls lslits 28 in the opposite edge portions of the @bottom ,wall-ll. The top walls 16 are removably locked down in place by means of barbed tabs 24 formed on the end edgesV of the top walls 16, said tabs 24 in the blank lying i [just beyond the outer ends of Ithe straps 21 `Vand being disconnected fromthe latter by a fhe heads or barbs of the tabs 24 interlock with slots 26 cut at suitable points 'in the sidewalls 19.

Frein the bottom wall 11 of the tray are cut and bent upwardly parallel rows of uniformly spaced tongues, which serve to space and separate the individual cakes, and pre- ,I vent them from sticking together through direct contact,-a condition very likely to arise they are still moist. The tray herein illus-V L ,30.

when the cakes are packed fresh and while trated has a capacity of six rows of cakes. The cake separating tonguesV 27 of the two outer or end rows may be of a simple rounded triangular or semi-elliptical form, as shown, while the tongues 27. of the remaining intermediate rows have the same general form but are characterized by the provision of straightedge portions 28 on one side thereof. These straight edge portions 28 are formed on adjacent sides of adjacent rows of tongues 27', and when said tonguesare bent upwardly and the inner vertical walls 17 of the two closed compartments are bent downwardly, said inner walls fitbetween and are braced by the straight edges 28 of the two rows of tongues,

whereby said inner side walls 17 are locked against spreading substantially as yrigidly, as

of tongues 27',

A with the slots 26, and the tray is fully loaded and ready for packingin the carton 10.l Said ,the outer side walls 14.

When the tray is to be loaded, by releasing the tabs 24 from the slots 26 the top walls 16'with their vflaps 17 forming the inner side walls can be swung backwardly and outward- V ly on the scored lines13 asliinges, and the several rows of cakes are then placedbetween the Spacers 27 and 27 The top walls 16 are then folded down, the

on the bottom of the tray.

lower edges of the walls 17 are fitted between the straight edge portions 28 ef adjacent rows the tabs 24 are interlocked carton is adapted to. contain a plurality of jsuperposed trays (half a dozen in the instance show-n), and these trays, being square, are

` preferably each other,

packed alternately crosswise of This method of packing affords uniform distribution of transverse strength and rigidity of the filled carton for the reason that the individual trays are somewhat stronger to resist lateral compression in longitudinal direction ofthe closed compartments; Another advantage of the described tray isthat it in itself forms a substantial package or holder which, for purposes of retail sale, mayV serveras a delivery container,

requiring only to be protected by an ordinary sheet of wrapping paper secured by a string or tape,such outer `wrapper being ample to y prevent loss of theV cakes in the intermediate open compartment ofthe tray. This' avoids the unsanitary feature ofthe handling of the individual cakes by the dealer when packaging-them for a customer.

AtSO isshownin Fig. 1 a common form Vof 1 carton support adapted to hold the carton in tilted position most convenient for inspection and removal of its contents on the counter; but this device, of course, forms no feature of the present invention. I may also add that cartons of this characterare commonly provided with a pasteboard top wall or cover toproteet the goods in shipment vfrom the bakery to the retail store; and. for display purposes atthe store this cover's removed and replaced by a display cover including a hinged glass panel so as to enable the character of the Vgoods to be exhibited on the counter or in the window,without exposing the goods. Assuch a display cover forms no part of my present invention, however, I have not herein illustrated the same.

The Vfeature .of the upstanding tongues on the bottom of the tray to serve as spacers for the individual cakes I do not herein claim broadly, since these devices are-disclosed and broadly claimed in my concurrent pending application hereinabove identified.

. I have herein shown' and illustrated one simple and practical embodiment of the principle of the invention/which in service as been found to satisfactorily effectuate the stated purposes and objects thereof.v I do not wish to be limited, however, to the specific details of structure herein shown and described, except to the extent clearly indicated in specific claims.

' I elaim i Y 1. A packing tray for cakes and the like, comprising` a, rectangular cardboard box formed with a pair of covered compartments and with an intermediate open top display compartment, the top walls of said covered compartments having downwardly bent flaps extending to the bottom wall of the box and forming partitions between said covered coinpartments and said display compartment, and thebottom wall carrying rows of upstanding members abuttingv against both sides of said fiaps to laterally stilfenthe'latter throughout the full length thereof. l

2. A packing tray for cakes andthe like,

VComprising a rectangular cardboard box v fiat rectangular blan formed from a single having its longitudinal edge portions scored and folded upwardly to form two opposed side Walls and having its end portions scored and folded to form the other opposed side Walls, top Walls of a pair of covered compartments on opposite sides of said tray, and inner side Walls of said compartments, and having tabs projecting from the ends of said compartment top Walls folded down against and interlocked with slots in said first-named side walls.

RALPH R. RICHARDSON.

3. A cardboard traly 

